Computer controllers generally include a base unit that may house various buttons, pads, and dials. Examples of common controllers include computer mice, keyboards, audio/visual remote controls, joysticks, home game system controllers, the buttons on handheld devices, and steering wheel-style video game controllers. Users manipulate the various controller buttons, pads, and dials and the controllers produce changes to the computer application. A variety of controllers use dials, such as rotary dials on computer mice, rotary dials to simulate steering wheels on racing games, and rotary dials on audio/visual equipment to manipulate searching, volume, etc.
The various dials mentioned above have unfortunate drawbacks. The movement speed and direction of the dials are often measured with mechanical or optical encoders that are bulky. Similarly, the dials do not have a protruding knob to facilitate movement of the dial and/or to serve as a reference point for the relative dial position. Thus, if the user picks up his finger from the dial, the zero reference point of the dial is difficult to locate. Similarly, without a knob, the finger may slip off of the dial during use. In the case of video game steering wheel controllers, the controllers, which are actual steering wheels connected to a base by a column, are often bulky and do not work well in small environments such as with handheld game devices.